SAN JOSE, Calif., March 19, 2012 – Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (Nasdaq: CY) today announced that its TrueTouch® controllers drive the “floating touch™” navigation feature for magic web browsing on the hot new Xperia™ sola smartphone from Sony Mobile Communications.
The Xperia sola’s floating touch is the world’s first smartphone to allow users to navigate by hovering a finger above the screen so it acts like a moving cursor without actually touching the screen. Once the desired link is found it can be highlighted and a simple tap will load the page. This alleviates the common problem of tiny links on a phone screen that are very difficult to access. This technology also enables users to operate the Xperia sola flawlessly while wearing even thick gloves, a very convenient feature for users in cold climates. More information about the Xperia sola, including a video showing the unique floating touch navigation feature, is available at http://pressreleases.sonymobile.com/2012/0313/english.
Cypress’s TrueTouch controllers enable this striking new feature with patent-pending technology that is unavailable from other suppliers. TrueTouch is the only solution with the ability to execute both self-capacitance and mutual-capacitance measurements in the same device—and switch dynamically between the two in application. This capability enables the hover and glove touch functionality.
“We’re excited to offer the world’s first smartphone with hover capability,” said Erik Hellman, Master Engineer at Sony Mobile Communications. “We think this technology will change the way people interact with their phones, offering new capabilities and functionality that will dramatically enhance the mobile experience. Cypress’s TrueTouch technology was instrumental in enabling this feature, and the Cypress team partnered with us to bring it out on schedule.”
“The Xperia sola is a tremendous showcase for TrueTouch technology,” said Dhwani Vyas, Vice President of Cypress’s User Interface Business Unit. “TrueTouch is unique in its ability to support hover functionality, and we’re excited to see the outstanding implementation of this technology within the Xperia sola.”
About TrueTouch
Cypress’s TrueTouch solution offers the world’s widest array of features, including 1-mm passive stylus support, proximity detection, waterproofing and the Charger Armor™ feature that enables mobile phones to operate in the presence of very noisy chargers. In addition, TrueTouch devices offer Cypress’s legendary noise immunity with patented capacitive sensing technology that enables flawless operation in noisy RF and LCD environments. More information is available at touch.cypress.com.
About Cypress
Cypress delivers high-performance, mixed-signal, programmable solutions that provide customers with rapid time-to-market and exceptional system value. Cypress offerings include the flagship PSoC® programmable system-on-chip families and derivatives such as PowerPSoC® solutions for high-voltage and LED lighting applications, CapSense® touch sensing and TrueTouch™ solutions for touchscreens. Cypress is the world leader in USB controllers, including the high-performance West Bridge® solution that enhances connectivity and performance in multimedia handsets. Cypress is also a leader in high-performance memories and programmable timing devices. Cypress serves numerous markets including consumer, mobile handsets, computation, data communications, automotive, industrial and military. Cypress trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol CY. Visit Cypress online at www.cypress.com.
